Listen Up with Tatiana Cadet

Tatiana Cadet is a senior majoring in Communication and Rhetorical Studies and minoring in Information Management and Technology. Since transferring to Syracuse University in the fall of 2014, she’s become a peer mentor, a Literacy Corp tutor, and the president of the Syracuse Chapter of Lambda Pi Eta- the National Communication Association. She’s even run for Student Association President among the many other ways she’s tried to engage and root herself in the Syracuse community. But did you know one of her favorite things to do is listen to podcasts?

“Listening to podcasts makes me feel like you’re having a really deep conversation… or you’re listening in on a conversation that doesn’t always happen in your everyday conversation,” said Cadet.

She has been an avid podcast listener for about a year and a half, but her favorite has been “Another Round” hosted by BuzzFeed’s Tracy Clayton and Heben Nigatu.

“I feel like it challenges you to think about different perspectives and different issues that are happening,” Cadet said. “When you listen to someone who you have a great connection with, or who’s talking about a topic you’re really passionate about, it just reassures your sense of being sometimes.”

In 2013, Apple said iTunes carried over 250,000 podcasts in over 100 languages with about one billion subscriptions tagged to them. While many of those subscribers have their different reasons for listening, Cadet’s reason is, “They’re speaking my story… they know how I feel.” And the best part? She doesn’t ever have to tune out.

“It’s not like a book where you just start and finish,” Cadet remarked. “A lot of them are weekly, where they talk about something; [like] every Wednesday they bring up a new topic.”

And there really is no right or wrong way to listen. Cadet listens in the morning, at noon, or in the evening. She listens while driving, while showering, or while walking to class.

However, not every podcast catches her attention.

“I probably listened to like five or six before I stumbled on ‘Another Round,” she said. “But even after finding it, there were… ones that I kind of bounced around… just because of the type of people they would interview… they would have somewhat silly but serious conversations with them.”

The interactive element some podcasts have over social media not only helps steer the conversation of the podcast, but it also gives listeners the opportunity to communicate with hosts, according to Cadet.

“Way, way after I started listening to the show… Tracy, on the podcast [Another Round] has actually retweeted me and invited me to a live show, and I got to be at that live show and meet her in person and it was just amazing,” said Cadet.

She also said she uses the content and topics of the podcasts she listens to to guide her own conversations and thoughts. While she agreed podcasts aren’t really for everyone, she explained podcasts are there if you want engaging material to keep you entertained, keep you informed or even keep you company. You don’t even need to use iTunes.

“Podcasts aren’t a black thing, or a woman thing, or even a political thing,” said Cadet.

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